Subtlety
by ifithasapulse
Summary: It wouldn't be the first time they fought simply for the sake of the art, for the sake of the adrenaline rush, the pure, sheer thrill of clashing with someone so well matched. But was that what he wanted? A fight? Not even close. Jade/Roy.


It had been a long night.

And a very successful one. Assassinations became infinitely less complicated once armed with blueprints, foreign intelligence, and a few corrupt officials, Jade thought with a slight smirk, stepping out of her shower and toweling off briskly. Her muscles protested loudly, soreness aching over every inch of her body.

The fact that it kept her mind off of Roy had nothing to do with it, of course. It had been a week since she'd last seen him and they hadn't parted well. The most recent argument had concerned their different morals, as ever, and it had predictably left them at a stubborn stalemate.

But, she thought determinedly, dragging a brush through her hair and tossing it up into a loose bun on top of her head, she wasn't interested in the archer, and she certainly wasn't going to waste any time thinking about him.

Clad in a pair of skimpy black boxers and white silk camisole, Jade padded into her tiny kitchen. Flipping on the light with a lazy flick of her wrist, she dug out a tub of black raspberry chocolate chunk ice cream from her freezer and took it to her bed, very carefully not thinking about _him._

Curling up in bed with a pint of ice cream and an old martial arts movie sounded just about perfect right now.

* * *

He knew where she was staying.

The thought ran through Roy's head as he gripped the rooftop's railing hard, causing him to scoff. So what? Was he going to burst into her hotel room in the middle of the night? To what end? She'd laugh and throw him out.

His knuckles were white with the pressure he was applying to the rail, his temper flaring. So be it! They'd fight and maybe she'd win, but maybe she wouldn't. It wouldn't be the first time they fought simply for the sake of the art, for the sake of the adrenaline rush, the pure, sheer thrill of clashing with someone so well matched.

But was that what he wanted? A fight?

Not even close.

Still, he'd take it if it meant seeing her. He snorted, despising the desperation in his thoughts. He wasn't going to chase her around like a lovesick teenager!

His body stilled, considering. Then he turned and left, breaking into a run.

The hell he wasn't.

* * *

Jade woke with a start, hand whipping out to grab the sais beside her bed, heart pounding. She took a second to orient herself, then realized a pounding on the door was what had awoken her.

Cautiously, she peered out the peephole, sais still in hand.

And blinked. _Red Arrow…?_

She swung the door open, swiftly tugging him inside and slamming him against the back of the door. Holding her sais at his throat, Jade leaned in to whisper in his ear, eyes narrowed dangerously.

"I expected more finesse from you, Arrow. Certainly not a pounding at my door at one in the morning."

He managed a smirk. "There's a time and place for subtlety and I've had my fill of it."

"Oh?"

"Yeah." He locked eyes with her, pulse quickening at her dark expression. Waited a beat. Then smoothly flipped them over, taking her by surprise and backing her up against the door, knocking the wind out of her.

He leaned in, eyes glittering. "I expected better reflexes from you, Cheshire. Certainly not for it to be this easy."

Jade touched the tip of her tongue to her top lip, cocking her head to the side. "I think you might reconsider your assessment," she replied smoothly, and he felt the sharp pressure of the blades at his sides. "I have you right where I want you."

Her breath ghosted along his jaw, and he inhaled sharply.

"To hell with subtlety," Roy muttered decisively, bringing his mouth down to hers aggressively.

If he had been thinking straight, he probably would've called it fireworks or something stupid like that. As it was, his brain was not fully functional, so it was all he could do to keep up and not be consumed by the heat.

Desire snaked through her, shutting off reason. Mutual attraction had sizzled between them for as long as Jade could remember, but this…this was real. There was as much desperation in the kiss as there was desire, as much wild need as there was wanting.

She didn't want him so much as she needed him, and in this moment, she didn't need him so much as she craved him.

Swiveling about, he broke away to dot kisses down her neck, along the line of her collarbones. Too much fabric, too little time. Her hands ran along his back, her dark laugh filling his mind as he shredded her camisole, desperation making him careless.

"Which way to the bed?" He murmured, kissing the hollow below her ear.

"I don't think we're going to make it that far," Jade purred, dragging him down to the floor.

* * *

**A/N: So...never written this ship before, but hopefully this was enjoyable nonetheless. Please review and thank you for taking the time to read!**


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